Claremont McKenna College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Claremont, California. It enrolls 1,388 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorWestern Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
83/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes97
Value78
Affordability16
Selectivity98
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Claremont McKenna College admits 9.6% of applicants, which makes it a reach for almost everyone, so treat it as one option among several.
Acceptance Rate
9.6%
Highly Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1470 – 1560
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
33 – 35
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Claremont McKenna College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
0.8 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $28,849 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$67,980
Room & Board (on-campus)
$20,830
Room & Board (off-campus)
$20,830
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$86,500
Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$15,308
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,360
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,389
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,325
Over $110,000
$52,295
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$13,500Medianpercentile
$19,82775%percentile
$26,19890%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $10,281
↓ $3,219
No Pell $12,000
↓ $1,500
Female students $12,000
↓ $1,500
Male students $11,500
↓ $2,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($13,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
89% of students who start here finish within six years, and 97% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
89%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
97%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $104,736 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$104,736
Earning > $25K
90%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$80,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$104,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $23,900, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$3.6 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,388 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
1,388
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
—
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 35.7%496
Asian 17.1%237
Hispanic 14.8%206
International 14.8%206
Other 8.8%122
Black 4.1%57
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Claremont McKenna College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Claremont McKenna College offers
a varied set of programs:
33 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$1.8B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$145,898
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
186 instructional faculty across 3 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
76
41%
$185,215
Associate Professors
61
33%
$137,985
Assistant Professors
49
26%
$94,767
Pros & Cons of Claremont McKenna College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Claremont McKenna College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Claremont McKenna College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students seeking a highly selective peer group; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Claremont McKenna College
The questions families ask most about Claremont McKenna College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Claremont McKenna College hard to get into?
Yes. Claremont McKenna College is among the most selective colleges in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 9.6%. Successful applicants typically have top-decile test scores and strong academic, extracurricular, and recommendation profiles.
What is the acceptance rate at Claremont McKenna College?
9.6% of applicants are admitted. Roughly one applicant in ten gets in, so apply only alongside options you are more likely to win. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Claremont McKenna College?
Aim for 1560 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1470 and 1560 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Claremont McKenna College?
Aim for 35 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 33 and 35 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Claremont McKenna College cost?
Budget around $28,849 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Claremont McKenna College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $104,736 a year against a net price of $28,849, about 3.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Claremont McKenna College known for?
Mostly Economics, Experimental Psychology, Political Science. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Claremont McKenna College graduates earn?
About $104,736 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Claremont McKenna College accredited?
Yes. Claremont McKenna College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission.
How many students attend Claremont McKenna College?
1,388 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Claremont McKenna College?
89% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Claremont McKenna College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Claremont McKenna College located?
Claremont McKenna College is located in Claremont, California.
What programs does Claremont McKenna College offer?
33 different programs, most commonly Economics, Experimental Psychology, Political Science. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Claremont McKenna College?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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